From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Division within its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Department to leverage AI’s benefits and counter its risks in elections.
Following its weekly meeting on Thursday, INEC highlighted AI’s growing relevance to electoral processes in Nigeria and globally.
National Commissioner Sam Olumekun, Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, stated, “The commission held its regular weekly meeting and among other issues, considered the increasing relevance of AI to elections and electoral activities in Nigeria and across the world. Recently, the commission attended several conferences with colleagues around the continent on the impact of AI on elections.”
Additionally, INEC aims to address concerns over AI-driven fake news and online manipulation while harnessing AI for data-driven decisions, risk management, voter service automation, and logistical optimisation, such as material distribution and polling unit allocation.
Olumekun noted, “Consequently, the commission approved the creation of an Artificial Intelligence Division under the ICT Department to continue to harness the positive aspects of AI and mitigate its negative impact on elections.”
The division plans to centralise AI governance to maximise technology investments, enhance decision-making, improve voter engagement, and boost electoral credibility through predictive analytics and automation.
Olumekun added, “This initiative puts the Commission in the forefront of institutionalising AI capabilities within our ICT infrastructure. It is also an important step in our ongoing reform of the electoral process in areas that only require administrative action by the commission.”